Adjustable ripper tooth for bulldozers



Jan. 2, 1951 L. c. PEIRCE ADJUSTABLE RIPPER TOOTH FOR BULLDOZERS Filed Oct. 21, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 2, 1951 c PEIRCE 2,536,308

ADJUSTABLE RIPPER TQOTH FOR BULLDOZERS Filed Oct. 21, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 z Z6 25 /2 a3 I INVENTOR. Lawrence C PZ/fCG Patented Jan. 2, 1951 ADJUSTABLE RIPPER 'roo'rn FOR I BULLDOZE'RS Lawrence "C. Peirce, Grand Junction, Cold, as v :signor \of'one-half-to1van B. Epperson, Grand Junction, Colo-.

'App lication October'Zl, 1947, Serial No. 781,026

3 Claims.

, This invention relates to a device for attachment to bulldozers, and more particularly 'to'an adjustable ripper tooth to be secured to the blade or mold board of a bulldozer in order to (Creta -.8),

'tural' details of the adjusting-means provided for positioning the hook member on the ripper tooth;

Figured is a detail view showing the locking adapt the same for use as a ripper. v "5 mechanism by-which the ripper tooth is clamped The invention has for its-chief object the proto the bulldozer blade, and illustrating the posivision of a ripper tooth structure capable of 'tion of the locking link in its locked condition; use on the blade of a bulldozer, whereby a single Figures '7, 8 and 9 are side elevational views, machine of this type may be used for several showing different forms of'hooks for'use with the different grading operations. 10 ripper tooth of the invention, whereby the same Another object of the invention is to provide may be applied to bulldozer blades of difierent a ripper tooth capable of application to bulldozer types; mold boards of widely varying sizes, whereby Figure 10 is a fragmentary side elevational one type of tooth structure may serve for the view of the lower portion of a modified form of conversion of several types of bulldozers for use ripper tooth; as rippers. 4 Figurell is a cross-sectional view taken along A further object resides in the provision of a the line H ll of Figure 10, looking in the direcripper tooth structure having novel adjusting tion indicated by the arrows. and clamping means enabling the same to be Referring to the drawings in greater detail, 'I quickly and easily adjusted, and securely applied i di a mold b or blade o a bulldozer, to different sizes of bulldozer blades. which in normal use is carried on the front of a A still further object is the provision of an tractor of conventional construction. Typical adjustable ripper tooth of simple design and rugblades of this'character are usually DIOVidBd'With ged structure capable of withstandin the hard I su s n lly p ll p and w r edges '2 wear and rough usage to'w'hich such an attachand 3'. ment is likely to be subjected. In order to adap't'a bulldozer of thistype To the accomplishment of the above and other pe s a r pperpa number of ripper teethare objects, the invention com rises,"briefly stated, I arranged in-space p r' relation sf a ripper tooth, a clamp member fixed on the length of the blade I, and secured to the same tooth for engagement with the bottom edge "of by the'upp'er and lower edges 2 and 3. A ripper a bulldozer blade, a hook adjustably carried on tobth'fflrthis D p uC di accordance the tooth for hooking over the top edge of the i the ve t on, is indicated at 5. blade, means for adjusting the position of the AS best e in F e 1 e tooth s hook on the tooth, and means for movingth f g n rally flat, blad fi urati n v n hook toward the clamp member to clamp the a pened edge 'DOltiOn 6 near its lower end tooth to the opposite edgesof the blade, terminating in a reinforced point 1. The point The invention will best beunderstood from may Conveniently be formed by reinforc the follow n description, constitutinga specifiplates: B' m s d to pp faces 0f cation of the same, when taken in conjunction ade aSby wel ing. As seen in Fig re 2, with theannexed drawings wherein: "40 the blade 5 may have its lower end somewhat Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a portion widened, andsloping upwardly from toe to heel, of a bulldozer blade, showing the adj'ustable rip- 0 fOrm a P e p t, to better enable the per tooth of the invention applied to the same; same to penetrate the ground during the opera- Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the inven- J tion of the bulldozer as a'ripper. tion, looking at one end of, a bulldozer blade, and '45 Above the pointed end of the blade 5, the same showing the adjustable ripper tooth clampedon is provided with a socket-member I2 secured to the blade; the rear vertical edge ['4 of the tooth. The socket Figure 3 is a top plan view ofthe invention "as member, or angle member l2 ispreferably in the illustrated in Figure 1; form of a 'V having one arm welded to the edge Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along I4, and the other end extending outwardly there theline 4- -4 of Figure 1, looking in the direction from. A brace I5 may be provided for the memmdrcated by the arrows; I r z ber |2,fextending 'fromthe outwardly extending Figure Sis a vertical cross-sectional view taken arm of the same downwardlyto meet the edge along the lme-55 of Figure 1, looking in the M of the tooth. Additional'reinforcingmeansis direction of the arrows and 'showingthe strucalsoprovided for the-member f2. which may take the form of plates I! and I8 secured to the opposite faces of the tooth and extending laterally therefrom for the full width of the member I2.

The socket member l2 secured as described above to the tooth 5 engages the lower edge 3 of the bulldozer blade and forms one part of a clamping means by which the ripper tooth is secured on the blade.

An upper clamp member 20 is slidably positioned over the upper end of the tooth 5, as best seen in Figures 1 and 2. This clamp member is in the form of a tubular portion 22 of generally rectangular configuration, having an Opening of sufiicient dimensions to fit easily on the upper portion of the tooth.

The member 20 has a pair of hooks 24 and 25 extending beyond the rear edge M of the tooth 5 for engagement over the upper edge2 of the bulldozer blade. .These hooks may be joined by a reinforcing bar 2 3 secured thereto by welding or; other suitable means.

Laterally extending plates 28 and 29 are welded to the opposite sides of the member 22, and may be additionally secured thereto by gusset plates 39, as best seen in Figures 1 and 2. The plates 28 and 29 are provided with holes for the passage of screw-threaded rods 32 and 33, which are adjustably secured to the plates by nuts 34 and 35. As best seen in Figure 5, the holes in the plates 28 and 29, indicated at 36, are tapered, and the nuts 34 are provided with a corresponding taper seating in the holes.

Aligned loops or eyes 31 may be secured to one side of the member 2!], for a purpose later to be made apparent.

The lower ends of the threaded rods 32 and 33 are formed with eyes 39 for pivotally connecting the rods to links 49, which in turn are pivotally connected to the opposite sides of a supporting member 42 at the points 43 and 44.

The supporting member 42 is of generally U shape in cross-section with the arms of the U extending on each side of the blade 5. At the upper end of the member 42 a notch 49 ispro- I vided in each side of the same, to engage a pin 4'! secured to the blade 5 and extending from each side of the same. A pair of eyes 49 extend from one side of the supporting member 42 for a purpose later to be made apparent.

In the supported condition of the member 42, the pivotal points 33 and. 44, where the member is connected to the link 49, lie slightly rearwardly of the pin 4?, as will be apparent from an inspection of Figures 2 and 6 of the drawings. This arrangement is for the purpose of preventing accidental releasing of the clamping members, so that the tooth cannot slip oif the bull dozer blade while the same is in use; 7 Near the upper end of the blade 5 of the tooth, a small hole 5! is provided to receive a pin 52 Secured by a chain 53 attached to the member 29. The member 2 3 may be placed over the upper end of the tooth 5, before the tooth is attachedto the bulldozer blade, and by inserting the pin 52 in the hole 5| in the tooth, the member 29 is prevented from sliding down the tooth until the same has been placed in position against the bulldozer blade. In Figure 2, the member is shown in the position just described, in dotted lines. The member 20 may be provided with hooks of somewhat diiierent configurations for use with .diiferent types of bulldozer blades. In Fighooks 55 having inverted V-shaped portions for engagement with the top edge of a bulldozer blade, while in Figure 8, the hooks 56 have rounded portions to be engaged with the top edge of a rounded blade. Similarly, the hooks 51 of the member 20, as seen in Figure 9, have portions of a shape suitable for engagement with the edge of a blade which is squared.

In attaching the ripper tooth structure described above to a bulldozer blade, the member 29 is placed over the upper end of the tooth, resting upon the pin-52 which has been placed in the hole 5|. The supporting member 642 is swung outwardly to disengage the notches 46 from the pin 41, and the tooth is placed in engiagement with the bulldozer blade with the edge '3 of the blade seating in the member [2. In this condition of the device, the member 29 is lowered by removing the pin 52 until the hooks 24 and 25 engage the upper edge of the blade. During the lowering of the member 29, the screw-threaded rods 32 and 33 are inserted through the holes in the plates 28 and 29, and the nuts 34 and 35 are adjusted in position for proper clamping of the blade between the member l2 and the hooks 24 and 25.

By now bringing the notches 45 in the supporting member 42 into engagement with. the pin 41, and forcing the locking member 32 downwardly and inwardly against the tooth, the pivot points 44 are brought to the position indicated in Figures 2 and 6, securely locking the tooth in position on the bulldozer blade.

In adjusting the member 20 in position on the tooth, the rod indicated at 59 in dotted lines in Figure 2 may be inserted through the eyes 31 to form a handle,- and in a similar manner a rod 60 may be inserted through the eyes 49 of the supporting member 42 to swing the same inwardly or outwardly in locking or releasing the tooth.

Due to the tapered fit between the holes in the plates 28 and 29, and the nuts 34, the distance between the supporting member 42 and the member 20 can be very closely adjusted to provide a tight clamping engagement of the tooth on the blade. Furthermore, the width of the member I2 in engagement with the bottom edge 3 of the bulldozer blade, and the provision of the two hooks 24 and 25, one on each side of the tooth, forms a clamping structure by which a very firm connection between the tooth and the blade can be obtained, thus assuring that the tooth will be securely attached to the blade under all conditions of operation of the machine as a ripper.

. In Figures 10 and 11' of the drawings, a somewhat modified built-up form of ripper tooth construction is illustrated. This structure comprises a straight steel bar 53 of uniform cross-section throughout its length to the lower end portion of which is secured a sharpened edge piece 51 preferably of elongated triangular shape. The edge piece 51 may be of somewhat less thickness than the bar 56, and filler pieces 59 and 60 may be posi tioned at either side of the edge piece to increase the rigidity of the same. Reinforcing plates BI and 62, similar to those previously described in connection with the ripper tooth 5, may be provided at opposite sides of the bar 56 extending beyond the front edge of the same to engage the filler pieces 59 and 60. This modified form of ripper tooth structure makes it possible to use stock materials in building the t re 7, the member 29 is shown provided with ,76 teeth, thus; avoiding the expense of procuring specially-shaped pieces suitable for this purpose. The edge piece 51 may, of course, be of suitably hardened material adapted to retain its edge under conditions of heavy wear.

It will thus be seen that the invention as described above provides a ripper tooth of simple design and rugged construction, having improved means by which the same may be easily and quickly attached to the mold boards of various types of bulldozers to convert the same for use in a wide variety of operations which would otherwise be beyond the scope of machines of this character.

While the invention has been disclosed by reference to a particular embodiment of the same, it will, of course, be understood that numerous changes can be made in the proportions and arrangement of the various parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having now clearly shown and described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device for attachment to the mold board of a bulldozer, an elongated ripper tooth disposed vertically adjacent said mold board, an angle member fixed to the lower end of said tooth receiving the lower edge of said mold board, slidable means on said tooth for engagement with the upper edge of said mold board, means carried by said slidable means intermediate the latter and said angle member for supporting said tooth, said last mentioned means being mounted for pivotal movement into and out of supporting position with respect to said tooth, and a second means carried by said slidable means for adjusting the distance between said angle member and said slidable means.

2. In a device for attachment to the mold board of a bulldozer, an elongated ripper tooth disposed vertically adjacent said mold board, an angle member fixed to the lower end of said tooth receiving the lower edge of said mold board, slidable means on said tooth for engagement with the upper edg of said mold board, said tooth being provided with a pin extending transversely therethrough intermediate said slidable means and said angle member, means carried by said slidable means intermediate to the latter and said angle member for supporting said tooth, said last mentioned means comprising a U-shaped member mounted for vertical pivotal movement into and out of supporting position with respect to said tooth, said U -shaped member having notched arms adapted to embrace said tooth and engage said pin when in a supporting position, and a second means carried by said slidable means for adjusting the distance between said angle member and said slidable means. I

3. In a device for attachment to the mold board of a bulldozer, an elongated ripper tooth disposed vertically adjacent said mold board, an angle member fixed to the lower end of said tooth receiving the lower edge of said mold board, slidable means on said tooth for engagement with the upper edge of said mold board, said tooth being provided with a pin extending transversely therethrough intermediate said slidable means and said angle member, means carried by said slidable means intermediate to the latter and said angle member for supporting said tooth, said last mentioned means comprising a U-shaped member mounted for vertical pivotal movement into and out of supporting position with respect to said tooth, said U-shaped member having notched arms adapted to embrace said tooth and engage said pin when in a supporting position, and a second means carried by said slidable means for adjusting the distance between said angle member and said slidable means, said second means including a pair of vertical threaded rods disposed on opposite sides of said tooth and operatively connecting said slidable means with said U-shaped member.

LAWRENCE C. PEIRCE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,036,598 Miller et al Apr. 7, 1936 2,285,706 Gaddis June 9, 1942 2,297,677 Forte Oct. 6, 1942 2,322,432 Forte June 22, 1943 2,346,567 Forte Apr. 11, 1944 2,384,957 Murphy Sept. 18, 1945 

